The Denton Broncos had their first win of the season in the
palm of their hands, but the Carrollton Newman Smith Trojans were able to force
overtime, where Camryn Cole hit the game-winning shot as time expired to give
the Trojans an 85-83 victory at the Purple Pit.

Stephen Spurlock led the Trojans with 30 points, while
Dareon Hill added 18 points, with each doing damage during their fourth-quarter
charge.

“They just made some plays,” Denton head coach Harold
Jackson said. “That kid [Cole] took the ball to the hole and made the play that
counted. We were in a mismatch situation and he was able to take advantage. We
shot the ball well, but they outrebounded us. We need to do a better job in
that area. He [Spurlock] did a tremendous job offensive rebounding. A lot of
the game we were in a zone, and it is very difficult to block out when you’re
in a zone.”

The Broncos (0-3) held a 65-55 lead heading into the fourth
quarter, but the Trojans’ aggression led them to the free-throw line, knocking
down 6 of 7 in the quarter. Spurlock had 10 in the quarter, with Hill knocking
down two of his eight points from the line to put the Trojans ahead 79-77 with
less than a minute remaining.

“In the fourth quarter, I don’t think we utilized the same
offensive patience that got us the lead,” Jackson said. “We took some quick
shots and those were shots we were hitting early in the game. We weren’t making
them and it gave them opportunities to come back. On both sides, jump shots
weren’t falling late in the game. We just couldn’t turn them into opportunities
on their end.”

Needing a turnover, the Broncos’ defense delivered as
sophomore Deamonte Hughes came up with a steal and found senior Michael Jackson
in transition for the game-tying layup. Denton’s defense then forced Deondre
Brown into a difficult shot to send the game into overtime tied at 79-79.

“I think we are a lot tougher,” Harold Jackson said. “There
was no quit. We were down early in the game, and we could have quit. We built a
10-point lead and then we got down in the closing seconds. We were able to make
a play to send the game into overtime. When you get into overtime, it’s about
who makes the last play, and they made the last play.”

The Broncos showed a more balanced scoring attack than the
Trojans as Denton had four players in double figures. Jackson led the way with
19 points, with senior Manny Patterson putting up 15. Senior Ryan Daniels had
12 points, while Hughes added 10.

“Michael did a tremendous job,” Harold Jackson said. “He
shot the ball well early, and he’s a tremendous athlete. I mean, every game
that we play, there may not be a better athlete on the floor. He is that kind
of athlete. He did a good job finishing, as well as Manny Patterson. Ryan
Daniels’ shot came around further. Roman Pervis came in to give us a big spark
in the first half, when we were in foul trouble, with his effort and energy.”

After taking a 40-38 lead at halftime, thanks to a 22-18
second-quarter advantage, the Broncos finished out the third quarter with a 5-0
run from Jackson. His step-back 3-pointer made it 63-55 with 25 seconds
remaining and after a defensive stop, junior Adarian Harris fed the outlet pass
to Jackson, who hit the layup to close the quarter.

At 0-3, coach Jackson isn’t ready to go back to the drawing
board. With Denton still looking for its leader, Jackson thinks it’s just a
matter of time before his team can get on a roll.

“I thought we were a lot closer tonight, to playing the way
we are possible of playing,” Jackson said. “Naturally you get better as you
play games. I thought we possibly could have been successful in those first
three games, but we aren’t pushing the panic button. Hopefully, once we get the
first win under our belt, we can string a few together.

“I’m trying to figure out who the leaders are that are going
to step up. Anybody can lead when things are great, but it takes a great leader
to keep the crew together when things are going well.”

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